5 Ways to Avoid The Summer Daze

I love summer. I look forward to summer all year for crying out loud! But my OCD really struggles in the long summer days without a set schedule. Even though I don’t have class at the same time every day during the school year, I still have a schedule for what I do each day.

It’s about two weeks into summer now and I’m a little bit stir crazy. Sure, I’m working, but I still spend most of my days cozying around not knowing what to do. A girl can only cook and watch Netflix for so many hours.

I call it the summer daze. The kind of daze where you don’t know if it’s Monday or Saturday, and you can’t really remember the last time you looked presentable. The summer daze is good for me for about 4 days…and then I go nuts.

So, here’s some advice for you and for me. 5 ways to beat the summer daze and get your sanity back (if you don’t have OCD, this post probably isn’t for you!).

Wake up and immediately get out of bed in the morning!

I try to set an alarm for 9 AM and immediately get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. I’m on a no-snoozing streak. I’ve found that actually getting out of bed when my alarm sounds helps me stay awake and start my day.

Set one attainable goal for every day.

One small goal, that you know you can cross off. Nothing crazy, but something like respond to all emails, do laundry, go for a run, etc. Feeling like I accomplished something can help me feel like the days don’t all blur together.

Do one thing every day for somebody else.

Not only will this help others, it will help you feel better and keep track of your time. Finding ways to fill your time by serving others is the best way to stay busy. This could be something small, like throw in your brother’s laundry, or something big like pay for the person behind you at Wendy’s. A little bit goes a long way!

Spend at least one hour outside.

Remember those commercials for Frosted Flakes where they encouraged the kids to “get outside and play one hour a day”? That’s what I mean! I used to think I did this every day without trying, but it turns out I really don’t. Spend an hour on a long walk, sitting by the pool, or going for a coffee outside. Some fresh air and time outside really helps me feel like I’m not wasting the day away indoors.

Spend one meaningful hour with somebody else.

For me, this is family (single life and loving it heck yes!). For you, this might be a significant other, best friend, or grandparent. Spend one hour without your phone or computer, hanging out with people you love. Even if this hour isn’t spent doing an amazing activity and is spent at a very boring lunch, some time is better than no time. Embrace and enjoy the extra free time you have to spend with your most cherished!

Get outside. See your friends and family. Help somebody else. Set a goal. Do something small to help you feel like you’re #adulting and productive this summer, even if you’re having a lazy week around the house!